Time Magazine names vaccine scientists ‘Heroes of the Year’

Time Magazine has extended its “Person of the Year” brand to include “Hero of the Year,” and has awarded the 2021 title to vaccine scientists who developed the COVID-19 vaccine

On their YouTube channel, Time announced it had chosen vaccine developers as the “2021 Heroes of the Year” based on the work and science that went into researching and creating the COVID-19 vaccine.

Four scientists, Kizzmekia Corbett, Barney Graham, Katalin Kariko, and Drew Weissman were chosen to represent vaccine researchers by Time, appearing on the magazine’s cover image. While scientists around the world worked together and apart to create the vaccine, Time chose the four because they “a breakthrough of singular importance, introducing an innovative and highly effective vaccine platform, based on mRNA, that will impact our health and well being far beyond this pandemic.”

Along with “Heroes of the Year,” Time Magazine also named “Entertainer of the Year,” “Athlete of the Year” and “Person of the Year.” Elon Musk was named “Person of the Year,” while Olivia Rodrigo was named “Entertainer of the Year” and Simone Biles was named “Athlete of the Year,” The Hollywood Reporter reported.

Time Magazine called the vaccine developers not only “heroes” but also “miracle workers” saying, “Through the harrowing first winter of COVID-19, scientists gifted humanity with the ultimate prize – a weapon to fight the pandemic.”

About a month after the first cluster of patients appeared wheezing in a Wuhan hospital, the entire genome of the responsible coronavirus—30,000 specific nucleotides—had been sorted, identified and posted online #TIMEPOY https://t.co/ukt8ChOafg — TIME (@TIME) December 13, 2021